The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers have been the two best teams in the Eastern Conference all season. They met again last night in Boston for a possible preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were fantastic, but the Cavs proved to be too much, beating the Celtics 123-116. Boston led for most of the game, but Cleveland never gave up, fighting back after being down early. Brown thought the game changed early in the second half with a questionable foul call.
Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown On Foul Call
The Boston Celtics came out on fire. They scored the first 11 points of the game and led 25-3 at one point. Cleveland chipped away at the lead and took control in the second half. Jaylen Brown believes he knows why the game changed in the second half. Early in the third quarter, Brown was whistled for a loose ball foul against Darius Garland while battling for a rebound. It was his fourth foul, so head coach Joe Mazzulla pulled him from the game. It was then that Cleveland took control, and Brown thought the call was incorrect.
“I got an offensive foul called on the rebound, and I felt like it was just in the paint, going for the basketball. That kind of shifted the game, for sure. It is what it is. Wish we could get it back. I don’t think it was a foul. I don’t think it was an offensive foul, but when these little guys flop, they’re just inclined to call it.”
Brown thought Garland flopped and called out the refs for often giving calls to smaller players. The Boston Celtics didn’t miss the offense of Brown, but they did miss the defense. Right after he sat down, the Cavs scored on three straight possessions, with Donovan Mitchell scoring 10 of his 41 points near the end of the quarter. Cleveland took advantage of Jrue Holiday being out and lesser defenders having to guard the best scorers.
Beyond One Foul Call
The call definitely changed the game, but it was far from the only reason the Boston Celtics lost. Injuries played a role. Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were out for the game, leaving the Celtics shorthanded. Because the bench players were thrust into a starting role, the Cavaliers bench was able to outscore the Celtics bench 33-6. They also didn’t get much from anyone besides Tatum and Brown. Derrick White had 16 points, but he was the only other player with double-digit points.
This speaks to the greater problem the Boston Celtics have had all year. When the team is hot, there is no stopping them. It is an onslaught of three-pointers combined with suffocating defense. Games get out of control quickly. However, when the Celtics are missing shots, they can give up big leads and drop games to inferior teams. While Cleveland is far from inferior, the Celtics went cold in the second half and it allowed the Cavs to mount a comeback.
Final Thoughts
The positive side of this for the Boston Celtics is that they were in control for most of the game against the best team in the conference without two starters. If they had hit a few more shots in the fourth quarter, they might have escaped with a victory. Still, this team feels more vulnerable and will have to shore up some things if they are going to win back-to-back championships.
